Hello,

I'm trying to install Morphos on a powermac G4 with an usb key (its cd driver does not work anymore).
I have followed the procedure listed here :
- http://www.morphos.de/guide/usb-boot
- http://obligement.free.fr/articles/morphos_demarrage_installation_usb.php
- http://www.meta-morphos.org/faq.php?id_cat=2&myfaq=yes&categories=Installation+et+d%E9marrage#42

I guess it is a computer compatible with morphos as open firmware displays something like that at the beginning: Powermac 3,6 4.4.8f2. It must be this machine: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/specs/powermac_g4_1.0_dp_mdd.html


However, I am still not able to install it ; I have tried almost all combinations of:
- usb formated as fat32
- usb formated as mac partition
- partition of the size of the usb
- partition of 250Mb
- usb with iso + boot.img for 32bits computers
- usb with content of the iso

And obtained various errors (do not remember exactly):
- file not found for fat32
- unrecognised Client Program format for partition on 100% of the usb
- nothing when it "works" : Loading ELF + DO-QUIESCE finished


Is my computer really compatible with morphos ?
If no, too bad for me :(

If yes, what I am doing wrong ? If it can help, here is a screenshot of my latest test: https://s32.postimg.org/4r73c8kd1/P1090098.jpg

thanks

Your MAC should be compatible (http://www.morphos.de/hardware)

On picture: It seems to load the MOS-Kernel.....and after extraction stops! Do you use the right boot.img for your G4 (MorphOSBoot:mac-ppc32/boot.img)?

Quote:

Sadly, yes, it is the mac-ppc32/boot.img file that I use

@ kr

Have you tried to boot an older version of MorphOS? Maybe you discovered a rare bug that is only triggered in a recent version.

(You can access older releases by modifying the version number in the download link.)

Quote:

Indeed, there is a difference of behavior with older versions:
- 3.6 => same result
- 2.6 => printing of informations about the CPU. See https://s31.postimg.org/scgr1kjp7/P1090101.jpg
However, there is no display of installation screen.


I wonder if the problem is not elsewhere ; there are 2 monitor ports on this computer: one dvi-i and one ADC. I use the DVI one. Is it possible that the installation screen would be displayed in the other port ? (I have no screen to check that)

thanks

Quote:

ADC isn't supported, so DVI is the correct port to use.

From the page you linked:

*By default, this model has an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM. It also could be configured at the time of purchase with a NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti graphics card with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM. The video card occupies a 4X AGP slot.

NVidia cards aren't supported, so if yours is a rare 'upgraded to NVidia' version then your out of luck I'm afraid (unless you happen to have a spare Mac compatible AGP Radeon card to hand).
The MDD is easy to pop open to check the card though. This page shows several of the NVidia cards, or if there's a residual OSX install you could just look in "About this Mac" (or System Info or whatever) in the Apple menu.

[ Edited by boot_wb 25.07.2016 - 17:53 ]

@boot_wb: sorry to have not given more precisions / it is an ATI card.
By looking up the codes provided by mac os, I can confirm it is a Radeon 9000/9000 Pro

@ kr

Would you mind trying another version, say, 3.0?

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SO, I've just tested with the 3.0

In this case, I obtain the same result that with 2.6 (i.e., display of the stuff of CPU but no install menu)

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So you say I should use DVI port even if ADC works perfectly good in my PowerMac G5?

@kr: How about getting (or even borrowing) a CD/DVD drive and trying to boot from CD? If that method fails too then something is messed up.

Hey kr,

if the PowerMac isn't able to read a FAT32 formatted USB stick, then things are going to be a bit tricky I guess :/ It's good that you can read the boot.img from HFS+ - at least I know that you'll be able to boot from USB. The problem you are facing is that support for HFS+ on MorphOS is in the ISO itself and not the boot.img - the boot.img therefore cannot boot from your USB stick. What you need to do is to format the USB stick in HFS (not HFS+ !). It should be relatively easy to do from Linux or from a PPC Mac OS X.

@koszer: yeah, I think I'll wait a bit in order to borrow an external drive to continue

@jacadcaps: initially, the usb sticked was formatted as HFS (and not HFS+) from the installed Macos of this computer. Then I have tried to repartion/reformat it from my Linux computer (one time in fat32, one time in hfs) with gparted and then I obtain other issues (open firmware list no file).
I think I will abandon this usb procedure until I find a drive.

Note that I have also tested to boot from the second harddrive (cf. instructions here http://www.meta-morphos.org/faq.php?id_cat=2&myfaq=yes&categories=Installation+et+d%E9marrage#41), and I obtain similar results (display of CPU information, then stop). If I remember well, the command I launched looked that :

boot ultra1:,\boot.img rd bootimage="HDmorphos:morphos-3.0.iso"

Am I specifying the iso file properly ? (the label of this drive is morphos)

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If your internal optical drive failed - why keep it?
If the controller failed - why bother with faulty motherboard?

I have restarted one again the procedure by manually formatting the usb key with fdisc instead of using gparted for this purpose.
This time it was able to launch the installer for morphos 3.9 ... I guess gparted use different default parameters ...


However, I have not been still able to install it ; I obtain many errors related to device state...
I guess the HDD of this computer are faulty... need to change them before continuing :(

If the cd drive is faulty, make sure the ide cable is unplugged from it. There has been a few instances that a flakey cd drive would hang the whole system. Surely you can obtain another ide cd drive somewhere from a spare pc? :)

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Finally, I succeded in installing morphos by removing the 2 hd and replacing them by one from an unused PC.
I'll replace the cd drive as soon as I'll found another one. Surpisingly it is able the read CD music from morphos (but not data).

I have to admit that I contradict the documentations, morphos is he system for which I had the most difficulties to install (half because of faulty hadrware, half because of wrong use of tools) ;)

I'll give it a try of few days before deciding to buy the licence or not